Reclosable seam

ABSTRACT

An improved elongated reclosable seam ( 20 ) that is adapted to releasably hold two overlapped members ( 21, 22 ) together, broadly includes: an elongated first resilient seal member ( 26 ) mounted on a first of the members and adapted to selectively engage a second of the members; a first fastener portion ( 30 ) mounted on the first member on one side of the seal member and adapted to face toward the second member; a second fastener portion ( 31 ) mounted on the first member on the other side of the seal member and adapted to face toward the second member; a third fastener portion ( 32 ) mounted on the second member and adapted to face toward and be aligned with the first fastener portion; a fourth fastener portion ( 33 ) mounted on the second member and adapted to face toward and be aligned with the second fastener portion; the third and fourth fastener portions being operatively arranged to releasably interlock with the first and second fastener portions, respectively, when such fastener portions are pressed to engage one another, to releasably hold the overlapped members together; and wherein the seal member is compressed between the overlapped members when the fastener portions are pressed to engage one another to hold the overlapped members together.

STATEMENT OF GOVERNMENT INTEREST

The U.S. Government has a paid-up license in this invention, and the right in limited circumstances to require the patent owner to license others on reasonable terms as provided for by the terms of Contract No. NMA 401-02-9-2002 awarded by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to reclosable seams, and, more particularly, to an improved reclosable seam that is readily adapted for use in portable tent-like enclosures.

BACKGROUND ART

In some applications, it is desired to provide a removable closure between two overlapped materials.

For example, in a common tent-like enclosure, such a seam is used to selectively close overlapping flaps, typically to provide a degree of privacy and to keep out obvious weather effects, such as rain and the like.

However, in some applications, such as portable battlefield enclosures and the like, it would be desirable to increase the sealed integrity of such seams.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

With parenthetical reference to the corresponding parts, portions or surfaces of the disclosed embodiment, merely for purposes of illustration and not by way of limitation, the present invention broadly provides an improved elongated reclosable seam (20) that is adapted to releasably hold two overlapped members (21, 22) together.

The improved seam broadly includes: an elongated first resilient seal member (26) mounted on a first of the members and adapted to selectively engage a second of the members; a first fastener portion (30) mounted on the first member on one side of the seal member and adapted to face toward the second member; a second fastener portion (31) mounted on the first member on the other side of the seal member and adapted to face toward the second member; a third fastener portion (32) mounted on the second member and adapted to face toward and be aligned with the first fastener portion; a fourth fastener portion (33) mounted on the second member and adapted to face toward and be aligned with the second fastener portion; the third and fourth fastener portions being operatively arranged to releasably interlock with the first and second fastener portions, respectively, when such fastener portions are pressed to engage one another, to releasably hold the overlapped members together; and wherein the seal member is compressed between the overlapped members when the fastener portions are pressed to engage one another to hold the overlapped members together.

In one form, each fastener portion has a plurality of stems and mushroom-shaped caps. These fastener portions may severally formed of a Dual Lock™ Reclosable Fastener made by 3M Company, St. Paul, Minn.

In the preferred form, the seal member has a P-shaped transverse cross-section. A portion of the seal member may be tubular. The seal member may be an elastomeric P-shaped seal made by Vanguard Products Corp., of Danbury, Conn.

The improved seam may further include a second resilient seal member (34) mounted on the second member in reversed relation to the first seal member. Each of these seal members may have a P-shaped transverse cross-section. Each of the seal members may have a tubular portion (28) and a flange portion (29). The seal members may be arranged such that the tubular portion of each seal member is adapted to engage the flange portion of the other seal member. In the preferred embodiment, the seam provides an substantial impediment to passage of fluid between the first and second members when the fastener portions are pressed to engage one another to hold the overlapped members together.

A plurality of spaced slits may extend into fastener portions and/or the flange portions to increase the flexibility of the seam.

The first and second members may be flexible.

Accordingly, the general object of the invention is to provide a reclosable seam that is adapted to releasably hold two overlapped members together.

Another object is to provide an improved reclosable seam that, when closed, provides a substantial impediment to passage of fluid between the first and second members.

These and other objects and advantages will become apparent from the foregoing and ongoing written specification, the drawings and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view of the improved reclosable seam, showing the first and second members as being in aligned spaced relation to one another prior to being pressed together.

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, but showing the cross-section of the seam after the first and second overlapped members have been pressed together.

FIG. 3 is a greatly enlarged fragmentary view, taken within the indicated circle of FIG. 2, showing the plurality of stems and mushroom-shaped caps of the engaged fastener portions.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view thereof, taken generally on line 4-4 of FIG. 1, and showing the first seal member in elevation.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

At the outset, it should be clearly understood that like reference numerals are intended to identify the same structural elements, portions or surfaces consistently throughout the several drawing figures, as such elements, portions or surfaces may be further described or explained by the entire written specification, of which this detailed description is an integral part. Unless otherwise indicated, the drawings are intended to be read (e.g., cross-hatching, arrangement of parts, proportion, degree, etc.) together with the specification, and are to be considered a portion of the entire written description of this invention. As used in the following description, the terms “horizontal”, “vertical”, “left”, “right”, “up” and “down”, as well as adjectival and adverbial derivatives thereof (e.g., “horizontally”, “rightwardly”, “upwardly”, etc.), simply refer to the orientation of the illustrated structure as the particular drawing figure faces the reader. Similarly, the terms “inwardly” and “outwardly” generally refer to the orientation of a surface relative to its axis of elongation, or axis of rotation, as appropriate.

Turning now to the drawings, the present invention broadly provides an improved vertically-elongated reclosable seam, generally indicated at 20, that is adapted to releasably hold two overlapped members together. The first of these members is generally indicated at 21, and the second of these members is generally indicated at 22. In the accompanying drawings, the portions of the overlapped members 21, 22 are shown as being adjacent their end surfaces 23, 24, respectively. Thus, a marginal end portion of the first and second overlapped members is depicted. In the preferred embodiment, the member may be a flexible fabric, such as used in a tent or tent-like enclosure. The marginal end portions are severally shown as having vertically-elongated cylindrical beads, severally indicated at 25, adjacent their marginal ends, to facilitate guidance of a suitable tool by which the two overlapped marginal end portions may be pressed together.

Adverting now to FIG. 1, the first member 21 is shown as having a resilient seal member, generally indicated at 26, mounted thereon. This seal member is shown as having a rightward tubular portion 28, and a planar flange portion 29 extending tangentially outwardly and leftwardly from tubular portion 28. The seal member is adhesively secured to first member 21. This seal member may be an elastomeric P-shaped seal made by Vanguard Products Corp. of Danbury, Conn. However, the seal may take other forms as well.

Adverting now to FIG. 1, first and second fastener portions 30, 31. These are Dual Lock m Reclosable Fasteners made be the 3M Company of St. Paul, Minn.

Adverting to FIG. 1, the second overlapped member 22 is substantially a reversed image of the first overlapped member 21. More particularly, the second member has third and fourth fastener portions 32, 33 that are aligned with the first and second fastener portions 30, 31, respectively. The second overlapped member also has a P-shaped seal 33, identical to that previously described, but reversed in position.

Referring now to FIG. 2, when the two overlapped members are pressed together, the first fastener portion 30 on the first member will engage the third fastener portion 32 on the second member, and the second fastener portion 31 on the first member will engage the fourth fastener portion 33 on the second member. Thus, in FIG. 2, the dimensions of the various fastener portions are shown as being reduced, and the cross-hatching is shown as being more closely spaced, to represent the compressive engagement between these fastener portions. Notice also that the normally-circular tubular portions of the seal members have been compressed and are distorted to oval shapes, with the tubular portion of one engaging the flange portion of the other.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view showing the engaged stems and mushroom caps of these fasteners.

FIG. 4 is a view showing the second flap in elevation. Notice that the various fastener portions, and the flange portions of the seal members, are provided with longitudinally-spaced scores or slits, severally indicated at 35, to facilitate the flexibility of the seal.

Two separate the two overlapped portions, one need only physically pull them apart.

One unique feature of the invention is that since the tubular portions of the seal members are compressed one against the other when the seam is closed, the improved seam provides a substantial impediment passage of fluid through the enclosed seam. This is deemed to be particularly advantageous in portable enclosures where the interior of the enclosure may be positively pressurized with respect to ambient conditions, such that any leakage tends to be from within the enclosure to the outside, rather than the other way around.

Accordingly, the invention broadly provides an improved reclosable seam that is adapted to releasably hold to overlapped members together.

Modifications

The present invention expressly contemplates that several changes and modifications may be made. For example, the first and second overlapped members need not necessary be fabrics or flexible materials. Alternatively, they could be relatively inflexible sheet materials. The materials of which the various members are manufactured is also not deemed to be particularly critical; The seal member may be a P-shaped seal such as shown and described, or may be of some other form. Similarly, the fastener portions may be Dual Lock™ Reclosable Fasteners made by 3M Company, or may be of some other type of seal. The slits that are provided in the fastener portions and in the flange of the seals are optional, but are desirable to increase the flexibility of the seal.

As indicated above, the improved seam may include one seal member, or two, depending on the sealing integrity desired.

Therefore, while the presently preferred form of the improved seam has been shown and described, and several modifications thereof discussed, persons skilled in this art will readily appreciate that various additional changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, as defined and differentiated by the following claims. 

1. An elongated reclosable seam adapted to releasably hold two overlapped members together, comprising: an elongated first resilient seal member mounted on a first of said members and adapted to selectively engage a second of said members; a first fastener portion mounted on said first member on one side of said seal member and adapted to face toward said second member; a second fastener portion mounted on said first member on the other side of said seal member and adapted to face toward said second member; a third fastener portion amounted on said second member and adapted to face toward and be aligned with said first fastener portion; a fourth fastener portion mounted on said second member and adapted to face toward and be aligned with said second fastener portion; said third and fourth fastener portions being operatively arranged to releasably interlock with said first and second fastener portions, respectively, when such fastener portions are pressed to engage one another, to releasably hold said overlapped members together; and wherein said seal member is compressed between said overlapped members when said fastener portions are pressed to engage one another to hold said overlapped members together.
 2. An elongated reclosable seam as set forth in claim 1 wherein each fastener portion has a plurality of stems and mushroom-shaped caps.
 3. An elongated reclosable seam as set forth in claim 2 wherein each fastener portion is a Dual Lock™ Reclosable Fastener made by 3M Company, St. Paul, Minn.
 4. An elongated reclosable seam as set forth in claim 1 wherein said seal member has a P-shaped transverse cross-section.
 5. An elongated reclosable seam as set forth in claim 4 wherein a portion of said seal member is tubular.
 6. An elongated reclosable seam as set forth in claim 5 wherein said seal member is an elastomeric P-shaped seal made by Vanguard Products Corp., of Danbury, Conn.
 7. An elongated reclosable seam as set forth in claim 4, and further comprising a second resilient seal member mounted on said second member in reversed relation to said first seal member.
 8. An elongated reclosable seam as set forth in claim 7 wherein each of said seal members has a P-shaped transverse cross-section.
 9. An elongated reclosable seam as set forth in claim 8 wherein each of said seal members has an tubular portion and has a flange portion, and wherein said seal members are arranged such that the tubular portion of each seal member is adapted to engage the flange portion of the other seal member.
 10. An elongated reclosable seam as set forth in claim 1 wherein said seam provides an substantial impediment to passage of fluid between said first and second members when said fastener portions are pressed to engage one another to hold said overlapped members together.
 11. An elongated reclosable seam as set forth in claim 1 wherein a plurality of spaced slits extend into fastener portions to increase the flexibility of said seam.
 12. An elongated reclosable seam as set forth in claim 9 wherein a plurality of spaced slits extend into said flange portions to increase the flexibility of said seam.
 13. An elongated reclosable seam as set forth in claim 1 wherein said first and second members are flexible. 